Rangers still targeting Rick Nash

Steve Zipay is an award-winning journalist who has covered events from Super Bowls to World Series and issues from sports marketing to stadium financing.
Based in New York for 25 years, Steve also has been a news editor, a business editor and sports media columnist for Newsday.
In 1997, Steve was a member of the Newsday team that won a Pulitzer Prize for spot news reporting on the crash of Flight 800. He has covered the Rangers and the NHL since the 2005-06 season. Show More

Trade deadline day -- and the days leading up to it -- are unsettling for NHL unrestricted free agents, especially those on teams with scant hope of making the playoffs. Players talk of having an overnight bag packed with essentials for a quick trip to another city.

Two key UFAs on the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers -- Martin Biron and Brandon Prust -- need not be concerned. In fact, there have been preliminary discussions about new contracts.

But around the league, dozens of players likely will be on the move -- Sunday and before Monday's 3 p.m. deadline. Wojtek Wolski made that sudden trip Saturday, from New York to Raleigh, to play for his new team, the Florida Panthers, Saturday night. The Blueshirts sent the left wing and the remainder of his $3.8-million contract to the Panthers for a third-round draft pick in 2013 and minor-league defenseman Michael Vernace.

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The Rangers, who have been struck in neutral for several games, are buyers, not sellers, with the target being Columbus power forward Rick Nash (the sides were said to be talking Saturday afternoon), and with a defenseman on the radar as well. The cost for Nash might be high -- Brandon Dubinsky, one or two top prospects and a No. 1 draft pick. The prospects could include a combination of forwards J.T. Miller (last June's No. 1 pick) and Christian Thomas and defensemen Tim Erixon and Dylan McIlrath.

If some reports are correct that Columbus wants center Derek Stepan to be included in the package, the Rangers will make a counteroffer or walk away.

Nash, 27, carries an annual salary-cap hit of $7.8 million, but the Rangers' front office believes it can maneuver around it. Shipping Wolski out was a start and including Dubinsky ($4.2 million annually for the next three years) covers Nash next season.

Regardless of where Nash, who has 279 goals, 251 assists, 81 power-play goals and 43 game-winners in 653 games with the Blue Jackets, ends up, the Rangers assuredly will make some moves.

There was some uncertainty about whether Los Angeles Kings captain Dustin Brown might be available, with the Kings having acquired winger Jeff Carter from the Jackets on Thursday. Numerous teams are intrigued by the forward from Ithaca, a rugged, north-south, go-to-the-net player who is signed for the next two seasons, with a reasonable cap hit of $3.175 million.